Hydrangea serrata Choco White - Mountain Hydrangea

Hydrangea serrata ‘Darwhite’ Choco White is a Hydrangea with a compact and balanced habit, very ornamental both for its dark foliage with chocolate tones and for its white summer flowering. This deciduous shrub forms a dense clump as wide as it is tall, with young shoots in chocolate colours. Turning later to dark purple-tinged green, the vegetation contrasts with the white flowering, tinged with pink. Appreciating moist soil and light shade, this Hydrangea grows well in neutral to acid, humus-bearing soils that remain slightly moist in summer. Its limited growth also means it can be grown in a container, especially when the soil type is not suitable (typically on chalky or too dry ground). Hardy to -20°C, it is the perfect plant for shaded borders and small gardens.

Hydrangea is the flagship member of the Hydrangeaceae family, which owes its name to it, and which includes other very popular genera, such as Mock-oranges (Philadelphus) or Deutzias, or much more obscure ones like Jamesia. The Hydrangea genus includes more than 70 species. They are mainly shrubs of varying sizes, but some species have a climbing habit, such as Hydrangea petiolaris. Hydrangea serrata comes from the mountain forests of Japan and Korea, where it thrives up to 1500 m altitude, earning it its common name of Mountain Hydrangea. In its natural habitat, it grows in soils rich in organic matter, always moist, and appreciates a position in dappled light. The shrub generally reaches 1.50 m in height, more rarely up to 2.50 m. 
The cultivar ‘Darwhite’ Choco White is very original in its foliage colour. It forms a clump of 80 cm to 1.20 m in all directions, with a slightly irregular but well-proportioned silhouette. It develops deciduous leaves, elliptic to ovate in shape, even lanceolate, with a pointed tip. The surface of the leaf is satiny, and on young leaves, it has the most attractive chocolate tones. As they age, the leaves turn to a dark green tinged with purple, giving the shrub a very stylish appearance. Above all, this dark vegetation is ideal for creating a strong contrast with the light-coloured flowering. From June to September, this Mountain Hydrangea develops beautiful inflorescences, in the form of flat, lacecap heads about 12 cm in diameter. They are composed in the centre of dozens of small fertile flowers (only a few millimetres) that form buds of an old rose colour, while around the edge, the sterile florets of 2 to 4 cm spread out. These take on a cream white hue, sometimes with a very slight old rose edging, matching the central flowers. The grace of these inflorescences is great for rustic bouquets and adds a romantic touch to borders. It doesn't like bright sun; it will thrive in light shade, such as that provided by the edge of trees, which will also maintain a certain atmospheric humidity. Planted in a container, it will do well on a terrace or balcony facing east, as afternoon sun would be harmful to it.

Hydrangea serrata ‘Darwhite’ Choco White is a very ornamental small shrub, which will be perfect planted in a mixed border, alongside other plants with staggered flowering periods. Place it at the foot of a flowering dogwood such as Cornus kousa 'Scarlet Fire', with its intense fuchsia pink large bracts in May. To start the flowering even earlier, choose from the spring-flowering magnolias, which are second to none for enlivening a border early in the season. And to end the year beautifully, try autumn camellias whose form and flower colours are a true delight.